Vehicle-wheel.



W. L. HOWARD.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED una, 1911.

Patented July 2, 1912.

b m a l 4 u ATTRNEYQ l To all whom 'it may concern:

relative positions.

WILLIAM L. HOWARD, or TRENTO'NI NEW JERSEY.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. Hon/Ani), a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Trenton, 'State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Veliicle\Vlieels, of which the fol-4 lowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in means for securing in place demountable rims in vehicle wheels, and more particularly to the construction illustrated and claimed in my previous Patents, No. 929,437 granted 'July '27, 1909 and No.. 932,862 granted August 31, 1909. In the type of construction shown in my previous patents, two gripping members are moved circumferentially toward or from each' other, and radially to effect the gripping or releasing of the ,rim by the turning of. a single bolt or shaft.

My present invention involves certain improvements in'the means for retaining these gripping members in place and in the casing for sealingA and protecting the operating mechanism.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyi'ng drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the different views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle wheel constructed in accordance with my invention, a part of the wheel being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 on a larger scale and showing only the gripping member in the channel in which it runs; Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, but on a larger scale and the rim being removed; Fig. 4 is a side view of alink used for holding the worm and worm wheel in proper In my improved wheel, as illust-rated, I

employ'a felly 10 of wood or other suitable `material, and secured to the periphery of `this felly is a fixed rim in the form of a -metalchannel 11 having a web 12 and outwardly extending parallel side flanges 13. At one point in the periphery, the wooden felly is provided with a recess, and wit-hin this recess is disposed a casing 14. The casing has side walls 15 integral with and lying in the same plane with the side flanges 13 of the channel, and-the end and bottom walls 16vare formed inteo'ral with the web 12 of the channel. Preferably the casing Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led May 8, 1911. Serial No. 625,923.

Patented July a, 1912.

is formed separately and welded to the channel after a portion of the web of the latter has been cut away. By constructing the casing in this manner, the flanges of the channel are not in any way weakened and extend continuously across the structure, and the structure is reinforced rather than weakened by the presence of the casing.

Any well-known type of rim 17 may be used in connection with the felly and engages with a rigid portion of-the wheel .along approximately one-half of the latter'. The rim may have studs 18 extending into recesses in filling blocks 19 so as to prevent lthis half of the -rim from moving laterally.

above referred to. The ripping members also have lugs 24 preferably integral therewith, adjacent to their meeting ends and through which a. spreading bolt 25 extends. The opposite ends of this bolt are oppositely threaded, so that\on rotating it in one direction, the members are drawn toward each other, and on rotating it in the opposite direction, forces them apart. The members preferably have extensions 26 which overlap and which prevent dust or dirt entering the casing 14 when the rim is removed. Extending transversely through the casing is a screw bolt 27 carrying a worm 28 in engagement with a worm wheel 29 on the screw bolt 25. The screw bolt 27 is normally held against rotation by a catch 80 operating substantially as set forth in my revious Patent No. 929,437. For holding t e two screw bolts and the worm and worm wheel in proper relative positions, I employ a link shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 4. This link has two spaced curved bearing portions 31 therewith and engaging opposite sides of the worm wheel and preventing longitudinal movement of the latter, and has two downwardly extendin bearing portions 32 receiving the screw bo t 27 and preventing longitudinal movement of the worm 28. This link member prevents the Vmovement` of the gripping members into positions.

One important feature of my. invention is the means employed for prevent-ing the outer ends of the gripping members from swinging outwardly.

tially parallel to the body portion ofthe 'gripping member and spaced a short distance therefrom, and a small bolt extends through the two side flanges of the channel l and through the space betw'een the tongue 34' and the body portion of the gripping member. IV ith this bolt in place, the outer end of the gripping member may move cir- 'cumferentially and may move radially to a limited extent, but upon 4the removal of the rim, the outer end of the gripping member.

Upon removing the two bolts 35 of the two gripping mem-V cannot swing outwardly.

Genies` of this patent may be b'rained for As illustrated, each* gripping member has a tongue 34:l substan -bers and removing the screwgbolt 27, all of between. said 'tianges movable'to lock the demountable rim to the fixed rim and a tongue carried by said member and extending substantially eircumferentially and a transversely extending bolt carried by said flanges vand disposed between said member and said tongue to retain said member in position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nameto this specification in the presence oit' two subscribing witnesses.y

4WILLIAM L. HOWARD. Witnesses:

CHAS. M. McDERMoT'r, JOHN F. TEMPLE.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

